Stressed
by Silverwitch07
Summary: Alec's day isn't off to a great start--at least, not until he gets a fire-message from his favorite warlock who decides to take matters into his own hands to make things better. Quite literally, in fact. Maybe it isn't such a bad day after all?


**Alright, I know that I should be updating my Anniversary fic buuuut…with all the wonderful suggestions I've been getting, I've just been overflowing with Magnus/Alec goodness. 3 There's one other one-shot that I plan to post soon after this one, along with the awaited chapter for Anniversary. I truly can't thank you all enough for all the support and kind words…and most of all, patience. ;_; You all are amazing! I hope you enjoy this little bundle of randomness and please don't be afraid to hit that button at the bottom of the page to review. Thank you all!!!**

**Also, I started up a new community for Alec/Magnus lovers (like myself) so if you're also a fan, please feel free to subscribe and/or PM me to check out your fics so I can add them in to the ones I've already added. ^.^ Thanks so much!!!**

**Disclaimer: All of the characters from the Mortal Instruments belong to the amazingly talented Cassandra Clare. I do not lay claim to them, no matter how much I'd love to.**

**Rating: T+/M (just to be safe)—brief naughty language and implied sexual situations that might not be appropriate for younger eyes (though I know that's not going to stop them from reading if they really want to).**

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Stressed

"…_Why_?"

Alec collapsed back onto the couch with a groan, running his hands over his face until his fingers caught in his hair; his palms lightly pressing against his closed eyes. Today had not been a good day.

Oddly enough, the morning had started out just fine. He'd woken up around 9, a special pleasure he didn't get to experience often, feeling refreshed and ready to start the day. After a warm shower, he changed into his usual attire of a light black sweater and long black pants and selected a few minor weapons to strap onto the latter—all out of routine habit. Once he was satisfied that he was ready, he grabbed his stele on his way out the door.

That's when things went downhill—quite literally in fact when he tripped over his doorframe.

Three hours later, Alec found himself crashed on the couch in the library after being chased through the Institute by a flock of pigeons that _someone_ had brought in as a means of "exercise" for Church (which led to his parents and Isabelle yelling at him to help them catch the cat before it broke another near-priceless vase), locked in a never-ending round of 20 Questions with his parents (in fact, he swore that they broke 100), caught in the crossfire of a food fight between Jace and Isabelle (the battle of food vs. faux-food), and had to listen to Clary ranting about needing to keep Jace on a leash (a full 15-minute tirade about things he'd known for years now). And all before lunch even officially rolled around.

"Why?" groaned Alec again as he slowly drew his hands back down his face, leaving slightly crumpled locks of hair dangling over his forehead in their wake. He hated the way that his mind automatically responded with 'because that's what family does' every time he asked that question. It was just one of those annoying things—knowing the answers to your own questions; particularly in cases of personal misfortune.

"I shouldn't have gotten out of bed this morning," he muttered to himself, deciding that smothering himself with a pillow would cause a lot less pain than ripping out his hair. No sooner had he pressed the square of fluff against his face, he heard a faint whoosh just above his head…and felt a warm breeze tickle his arms.

He slowly drew the pillow down to his chest, his sapphire eyes blinking in confusion as he looked for the source of the disturbance. He felt a bit silly for not recognizing the arrival of a fire message, especially with how often he and Magnus sent them back and forth to each other, but still found himself rather surprised that the High Warlock had chosen to send him one right that moment.

With a faint smile, he caught the piece of paper as it fluttered down towards him, opening it after propping himself back against the arm of the couch.

He read the following:

_Alec,  
You are hereby invited to take part in the dining pleasure of having lunch with the marvelous, magnificent, magical me. And in all seriousness, darling, please accept—we really need to talk. If you still need convincing, take note of the fact that I have a surprise waiting for you. I promise, it has nothing to do with make-up, leather, or fizzy drinks that will cause you to go parading around the place in nothing but a pair of socks. Never mind that all of the above are incredibly tempting. Again, in all seriousness…come visit me, love. If nothing else, because I miss you and love you endlessly.  
Magnus_

Alec blinked a few times at the letter, reading and re-reading it again and again until his eyes began to ache in protest. As beautiful as Magnus's swirly yet sharp penmanship was, it was hard to read in rapid succession.

Despite the strangeness of the invite—especially that worrisome bit about needing to talk—Alec found himself more than sold on the opportunity. It was just what he needed.

He tucked the letter into his pocket, swinging his legs over the side of the couch as he got up and walked over to Hodge's old desk. He figured he should at least give some warning that he was coming instead of just showing up on Magnus's doorstep.

He thought a moment on just what he should say, the silver pen in his fingers hovering over the off-white parchment as he pondered his wording. Finally, he began:

_Magnus,  
I would ask to what honor I owe this invitation, but since you mentioned a talk and a surprise…I think I already know. I do accept, of course—I get to see you, after all. I'll be over in just a little while. See you then…I love you.  
Alec_

Satisfied with the short but sweet style of the reply, Alec walked over to the fireplace and carefully folded up the letter, drawing his stele out as soon as his hand was free. With a light whoosh, the letter went up in flames, vanishing from sight. With a satisfied smile, Alec turned and headed for his bedroom; deciding to change into something more to Magnus's liking. While his boyfriend still hadn't quite managed to get him hooked on the glitter and mesh that he so often wore, the 6-going-on-7 months that they had been together had gotten Alec more comfortable with wearing something other than black.

He still favored black pants above any other color, though he decided to throw on a rather tight-fitting blue sweater that Magnus had picked out for him the last time he had gone shopping. It matched his eyes too perfectly, or so the warlock had said, for him to pass up.

He ran his fingers through his hair a few times, getting it to straighten back into a semi-neat fashion, before glancing at himself briefly in the mirror. Satisfied with his appearance, he pocketed his stele and the key to Magnus's apartment and headed out the front door.

~*~

"Of course it had to start raining," muttered Alec darkly as he ran the last block to Magnus's, the rain pouring over him mercilessly. It had been such a nice-looking day when he originally set out, not a cloud in sight. Then, after he got halfway there, it decided to downpour.

"Which it would only on a day like today," sighed the Shadowhunter, shaking his wet hair ala dog before unlocking the door to the building with his key. He knew he looked like a drowned rat, or really any other type of drowned animal, but even as he tried to wring some of the water off of his sweater he knew that there was little he could do to fix that.

Luckily he knew of someone that could.

Despite having a key to Magnus's loft, he decided to knock instead of simply walking in. As comfortable as he had become to coming over and roaming freely once inside, he still hadn't quite gotten to the point where it felt right to just waltzing in as if he owned the place.

Not half a minute later, the door swung wide open to reveal a pair of shimmering green-and-gold eyes, and the rest of the equally bright warlock.

"Alec! So glad that you were able to come—" he blinked, cutting himself off as he took in his boyfriend's drenched appearance. "You walked here?"

"It wasn't raining when I left," explained Alec lamely, not even completely able to conceal the slight drone to his voice. His clear blue eyes met Magnus's feline ones, and in perhaps the most honest voice he's ever used with the warlock, he said, "Today has been a horrible day."

A soft smirk graced the warlock's lips as he strode over to the younger boy and carefully pulled him into a hug.

"I know, darling," he whispered against Alec's ear, his arms providing unnatural warmth to the slightly shivering Nephilim. "Why do you think I chose to invite you over early?"

"Early?" asked Alec quietly, giving a soft moan against Magnus's shoulder as he felt his clothes, and the rest of him, become warm and dry. He was always moved by how much magic Magnus was willing to put into making him happy.

"Mm-hmm," purred Magnus, sweetly nuzzling into Alec's hair with a gentle smile. "I had planned on inviting you over for a romantic supper…but I saw that you needed relief a bit early."

"So you were spying on me?" asked Alec with a faint smirk, drawing back as a slender eyebrow rose in amused curiosity.

"I prefer to think of it as…looking out for you," smirked Magnus in reply, gently caressing Alec's face. "You do manage to get yourself into loads of trouble, you know. Even at the Institute, it seems." With a slightly dramatic sigh, he drew Alec into the apartment. "Is there nowhere you can go that I won't have to worry about your safety?"

"Here?" offered Alec with a grin as the all-too familiar surroundings of Magnus's apartment came into view.

"Quite right you are, darling," purred Magnus delicately as he shut the door behind them. "Which is why I think you should seriously consider moving in; if you don't, I might just have to kidnap you one of these days."

"That's a bit drastic, don't you think?" asked Alec with a light laugh.

"Anything to keep you safe, angel," smiled Magnus, wrapping his arms back around Alec in a gentle yet claiming hug.

"So what was that surprise you mentioned in the fire-message?" asked Alec, suspicion lacing his voice as he leaned into the warlock's embrace. It really was hard to act anything other than playful when he was feeling so safe.

"Oh! I almost forgot…" beamed Magnus as he kissed the top of Alec's head. "I had been planning on showing you after we had eaten, but…well, since you mentioned it…why wait?"

With a bright grin he drew his boyfriend towards the back of his loft, specifically towards his bedroom. However, he stopped him just short of the door which was, Alec noted with slight surprise, closed.

"Now there are a few last-minute touches I need to take care of before you come in," he explained, lightly thumping the tip of Alec's nose with his fingertip. "But never fear, it won't take more than a minute. You just wait here and look pretty."

With a dazzling grin, Magnus slipped into his bedroom, shutting the door too quickly behind him for Alec to even get the slightest glance inside.

With a soft sigh and shake of his head, Alec leaned back against the opposite wall, almost afraid to imagine just what Magnus might be doing in there. He really couldn't even hear any major noises of items being moved around. It was…too quiet.

After what felt like an eternity, but in reality was only about 23 seconds, Alec pushed himself off the wall and went over to the door. He opened his mouth to ask if everything was okay in there, but the sound died in his throat as the door suddenly swung open to reveal a very sparkly Magnus in a bright violet and green kimono.

"Hello love," he grinned, loving the way Alec blushed when he was embarrassed. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but I wanted to make sure that everything was perfect. Are you ready for your appointment now?"

"Appointment?" repeated Alec, a look of brief uneasiness creeping over his face. This was certainly what he had been expecting his surprise to be. Though he had to admit, the two sparkling chopsticks that protruded from Magnus's spiky black hair added a very cute edge to his appearance.

"Of course, silly boy," purred Magnus as he slipped one of his hands into Alec's. "And lucky for you, you're right on time."

With a light tug, he drew Alec into the bedroom, and closed the door behind them with a soft snap just as he heard Alec gasp.

The room had been completely redone. There wasn't a single trace of glitter or wild neon bed sheets or even any sign of his vanity table with his many jars of make-up. In fact, the only objects that took up space in the room, aside from Alec and Magnus themselves, were a single cot-like bed and a moving tray that seemed to have various bottles of perfume on it. The room was also unusually dark, due to long velvet curtains that had appeared over the floor-to-ceiling window; illuminated only by a variety of candles that seemed to be floating in the blackness.

"What…?" murmured Alec, mesmerized by the twinkling candlelight and the relaxing affect their scents had on his mind. It made it impossible to think clearly, never mind form a complete question.

Magnus only smiled, his eyes as bright as the tiny flames as he gently placed his hands at Alec's waist and carefully guided him over to the cot. As the moved, he slipped his hands under the soft fabric of Alec's sweater and carefully guided it up his well-toned chest. He gave a soft moan as he felt the teen shudder at the touch, though nearly lost it completely when Alec actually raised his arms to allow him to remove the shirt.

'_Hmm, perhaps I should've gone with my original solution to stress relief_,' he thought with a purr as he let his hands roam over Alec's bare chest and back. _'Then again, who says you can't take your cake and eat it too?_'

Leaning up against Alec's ear, he quietly whispered, "Lie down on your stomach."

With a soft smile, Alec obeyed; his body rather tense but his mind completely at ease. He gave a slight grunt as the stiffness of his muscles alerted their discomfort at the movement, but relaxed with a soft sigh upon finally getting himself settled on the cot.

"What's with the perfume bottles?" he whispered after a minute, glancing over at the bottles Magnus was currently going through. The warlock blinked in brief confusion, then laughed in reply.

"Oh these aren't perfume bottles, dearest," he smiled. "Just wait, you'll see what I mean soon enough."

Finally selecting one, a tall bottle containing a deep pink liquid, Magnus turned back to Alec.

"This might feel a bit cold at first, but don't worry, I'm not about to let you freeze," he said, a gentleness coming into his eyes as he poured some of the liquid onto his palm. Almost instantly, Alec detected a strong scent cutting into the sweet aroma of the candles. It was fresh, like a garden, yet distinct. In fact, it smelled an awful lot like….

"Roses," murmured Alec, lightly nuzzling into the small pillow that provided his head some comfort. "It smells like roses."

"Very good, love," chuckled Magnus lightly as he set the bottle aside and lathered both hands in the liquid. "I'm glad to see that the Nephilim are so well educated in the different scents of flowers."

Before Alec had a chance to reply, he felt two cool hands carefully pressing against his shoulder blades, though they seemed to warm the instant they touched his skin. He gave a soft moan as Magnus's slender fingers began to work, carefully feeling for and ultimately kneading out any knots in that area. It was then that Alec truly came to realize, and appreciate, his surprise.

"You turned your bedroom into a spa," he murmured softly, sounding almost drowsy. "Or at least, the massage area of one."

"I thought that might be a nice remedy to a thoroughly shitty day," smirked Magnus, his eyes glimmering in the candlelight. "Your own personal masseuse."

"Thank you," whispered Alec, his voice a touch quieter as he felt himself beginning to truly relax for the first time in he couldn't even remember when. Mind, body, and soul had all hit an equilibrium of peace.

"Hush now," whispered Magnus, his hands slipping a bit further down to search out more knots. He paused briefly to reapply more of the rose-scented oil to his hands, and then was instantly back to work. "This is time for you to relax, Alec. By all means, sleep if you'd like. This is you time."

Instead of taking Magnus up on the offer, despite how close to sleep he already was, Alec craned his neck to look back at the warlock. With soft blue eyes he took in his partially shadowed form in the darkness, the sparkles and silver stitching on his kimono shining beautifully on him. He looked like something out of a fairytale, and above all: gorgeous.

"Alec, don't," came his voice, still soft though lightly sharpened by a touch of concern. "You'll hurt your neck and back if you lay like that."

With a soft smile, Alec allowed himself to be gently pressed back to laying flat on the massage table, but not before whispering, "I love you, Magnus."

Startled by the sudden proclamation, Magnus paused in his work; his hands still firmly pressed against a particularly tough knot on Alec's right side. Though he knew that Alec loved him, especially after the way he proved it by kissing him in the Accords Hall, it still sent chills through Magnus's spine to hear him say the words up front. With a ghost of a smile and eyes shining with love, he leaned down to kiss the back of Alec's neck.

"And I love you, Alexander Lightwood. I really, truly do."

~*~

"Where is he?" demanded Isabelle for the thousandth time, drumming her long nails on the dining room table in irritation. She cast a demanding glance around the table, as if the others that sat with her were to blame for her brother's rather strange absence. Truth be told, she wasn't the only one who was unsettled by it, and what's more she knew it deep down. Still, there didn't seem to be much else to do about it at the moment, other than demand and blame.

"Izzy, knock it off," muttered Jace with a roll of his bright golden eyes. "Seriously, we heard you the first twenty times you asked."

Isabelle shot him a venomous glare from across the table, giving a faint 'hmph' as she crossed her arms. "Well excuse me for being just a little concerned. Alec never just takes off like this."

"Which is why he has about thirty seconds to get his ass through that door and sit it in one of these chairs," said Jace calmly, though his eyes betrayed his true feelings. "Or else, I'm going to kick it through the roof whenever he does actually get back."

Clary sighed in exasperation, having decided to give up on even trying talking sense into either of the other two Nephilim. The day had been a royal mess as it was, and the fact that Alec had pulled a Houdini really hadn't helped the situation. In fact, it just made things more chaotic by adding worry to the mix.

"I'm sure he's fine," she mumbled in a slightly deadpan voice, silently praying to whatever Angel might be listening that Jace and Isabelle would refrain from taking out their pent up concern on each other. "He probably just went for a walk or something."

"In that downpour we had earlier?" asked Isabelle skeptically.

"Maybe?" replied Clary with a helpless shrug.

"I swear if he's gotten himself into trouble, I'm gonna—"

But they never learned just what Isabelle was going to do to Alec if he had gotten into trouble because at that very moment, he walked in through the door.

"Alec!" both Isabelle and Jace shouted at once, the former actually getting to her feet while the latter took a moment to look him over.

"You okay?" he asked, searching his face once he found no visible sign of injury on his body. A look of surprise lit up his own face as he realized that not only did Alec look unharmed, he looked completely and utterly relaxed.

"Never better," answered Alec with a smile, his blue eyes bright and alive. He gently shooed away Isabelle and her demands to tell her where he'd been, reassuring her that he was indeed alright. "Actually, I'm kinda tired. I'm gonna head off to bed now. Oh, and before you ask Izzy, yes I've already eaten. Goodnight!"

With a light wave, he walked—no, more like flowed from the room—leaving three very confused Shadowhunters in his wake.

"…What the hell just happened?"

Jace looked over at Isabelle, smirking wickedly at her question as he replied, "I think our brother just got laid. Trust me, I know that body language."

"So he was over at Magnus's," said Clary thoughtfully. She twirled some of the spaghetti noodles around her fork, perfectly content to eat now that she knew that Alec was indeed safe and sound. "I figured as much."

Isabelle stared at her, looking back over to Jace with still-wide eyes.

"Don't worry, Izzy, you'll be able to tell for yourself when he isn't able to walk in the morning," grinned Jace.


End file.
